


Dancing around each other

by Aliester



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Anxiety, Bad Writing, Fluff, M/M, Somehow, please don't read this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 05:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15308169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aliester/pseuds/Aliester
Summary: "You're like the embodiment of absurd when you dance, Akechi."





	Dancing around each other

“It’s your third cup.”

Goro paused halfway, carrying a mug of coffee at the end of his lips. His gaze deviated towards the barista who studied him just as much, waiting for an answer to a question he had not yet vocalized. He waved a forced smile. Suddenly the comments he once made to his colleague about the stress inducing ugliness hit him in the stomach, screaming vendetta.

 

 “Are you in trouble, Goro?”

Problem was a big word compared to the real issues he was going through. Obviously, Akira couldn’t do anything about it, and neither did he. He hesitated a few seconds before stating the source of his troubles.

“Well…  I very much might be.”

 

To hide his awkwardness, Goro gulped the content of his cup, and closed his eyes.  
Akira might have felt how uncomfortable he was. It was getting late anyways and at this hour, nobody would actually come to the café. He released himself from his apron and closed boutique, before rushing to a seat next to the detective.

 “See, the thing is that I’ll have to make an appearance on TV next week.”

 

“Isn’t it a good thing…? You always seem so boastful about it.”

Goro choked on his cup, and the other arched an eyebrow. He needed a recovery.

“Well. It is, somehow. It always helps improving my reputation when I am not messing up. But here. The thing is scripted and… I’ll have to dance on set.”

 

Akira let out poorly controlled indignant gasp as if his customer actually insulted his family. Of course, he had to pull the mocking façade, but he broke quite easily a couple seconds after red burnt Goro’s cheeks. The barista was actually laughing.

 

“No fucking way!” He murmured, amused, crossing his arms on the counter and eying the detective as if he was some kind of circus freak.

“Please stop staring at me like that.”

“You don’t know how to dance, Goro, it’s even more obvious in the metaverse, you’re like…”  
The barista scratched his scalp, in absolute awe, lacking for words.

“you’re like the embodiment of absurdity, you’re absurd when you dance, Akechi.”

“I want to slay you so bad for calling me out on this.” Admitted Goro in a forced laughter.

“we’ve got to fix this.”

“We?”

 

Akira took his phone out of his pocket and waved it to Goro before placing it on the counter.

“Yes, we. We’ll go through a couple dance sessions, alright? You know.”

 

He then faced Goro again, a  smirk plastered on his face. Goro might be the embodiment of absurdity, but he was the embodiment of fishiness, nothing screams more fishy like a smirking Akira.

“Doing it alone might be incredibly difficult so you might feel better and more motivated if I help.”

 

It was about time that his schemes become clear. After all, he was sitting next to his enemy, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves; Akira had the qualities of being a sneaky bastard. Goro was literally drowning in cold sweats. He had to parry his attacks. He finished his cup of coffee to hurry and find a way out of this trap.

“I don’t want to bother you though.” He stammered.

 

He picked his wallet to pay his _friend,_ but he got stopped halfway through by a hand that wasn’t his.  

 

“You _will_ take this dance lesson with me Goro.”

 

_He just won’t give up. His glasses are glittering, that jerk is determined._

He could try to fool him. He could stand him up by filling his timetable with random meetings or, by helping Niijima after work. Or by… eating… At the conveyor belt… With her? Every opening was to take.

He sat again and inhaled to chase his crippling thoughts.

 

“Sure… Lets go to dancing classes together.”

“I think you misunderstood my statement.”

 

Misunderstood? Akira bent over his phone to unlock it and scroll through pages that Akechi could not even identify.

 

“ Do you already know which song will be played on set?”

He then understood Akira’s plans. A sneaky bastard indeed.

 

“ ** _Don’t.”_**

“Come on! Don’t be such a joy-killer !”

“I will not be subjected to such criminal abuse.”

“You’re being overdramatic. So, which to do you prefer, to get ridiculed in front of me, or do you want to get ridiculed in front of thousands to millions of people in live?”

 

Akira suddenly got up from his chair and played a music that was quite familiar to their ears. Goro knew it, it was one of Akira's favorites, He had heard it enough to know the rhythm and probably the lyrics that come with too. He groaned as the barista grabbed his arm and made him spin before releasing him while maintaining eye contact.

“Okay, okay, I got it!”

“Oh, I thought you were going to be harder to convince. Impressive.”

“I just want to get this over with, really.”

 

The victim stared at his executioner, already starting his own show. His movements weren’t that bad, quite fluid and synchronized to the sound, but they weren’t perfect. Goro leaned against the counter, a playful expression covering his face like a shield he needed right away.

“It’s not like you know how to dance either.”

“Implying such is slander and I’ll sue you.” He merely responded in a last slam of heel before standing in front of the waiting, not so secretly terrified Goro.

“I have connections; you’ll lose in this trial.”

“Fair enough.”

 

Akira pulls him away from the bar. Goro’s heart leaped, their hands intertwined as the first music stopped.

"If you’re not gonna dance then i’ll make you."

“You’re not obliged to hold my hands to make me dance.”

“you think?”

 

He released one of them, just to spin him around once more before catching his waist and then tilting his body. Goro let Akira have the lead over the dance for seconds, then minutes, and there was absolutely no sound in the café, except for their steps and matched breathing. That was a waste of time. He had other fishes to fry, targets to take down yet here he was. At the enemy’s place, once again.

And even though he was dancing with probably the sole person he esteemed enough, he couldn’t totally enjoy it.

Their back straightened and as Goro started speaking again, they stopped moving, he was realizing how odd all of that was. To dance with the one he’s supposed to destroy.

 

“This is not exactly the kind of dance that I’ll perform…”

 _That’s not what he wanted to say_.

“Did you really think I was going to teach you anything?”

He snorted. Akira aimlessly walked around the detective, as if he was trying to confuse him in a wave of hyperactivity.

“I should’ve known better. All you do is tricking me into your… messy shenanigans.”

_And that’s all he’ll ever do, you should just leave now._

“Says the one who blackmailed his way into my group.”

“It wasn’t blackmail, I was doing my job.”

“Blackmail then.”

 

As Akira’s feet ceased to move. They both stood still, as one let slide his hands from the other’s shoulders to his his arms.

“let’s get back to work, shall we?”

He shivered, hoping that whatever odd reaction he had went unnoticed by Akira, because they kept on coming repeatedly anyways. He couldn’t just cool off, not in this situation, not in front of him, not like that--

“You feel incredibly stiff. You can relax, you know?”

Of course he’d notice.

 

“I just forgot that I had some... Work to finish.”

Akira tilted his head in sudden confusion as Goro grabbed his coat quickly. The more he tried to dismiss his disturbing thoughts, the more they came back a powerful and sharper. They were unbearable. He could not pretend in such a context.

He didn’t know how exhausting it was, he couldn’t afford to open himself to him, that would be a stupid mistake.

 

He did not turn once, the briefcase in his hand, he was about to leave Leblanc.

"The… Door is locked.”

“Yeah? The café is closed, remember?”

Akira chuckled at the shivering mess trying to escape. He slowly walked towards the exit to open it for Goro, who still didn’t bother looking at him. He hummed.

 

“You have a whole week to improve.”

“I didn’t learn a thing with you. Though it was entertaining.”

“Well If you come back tomorrow, then I’ll actually try to teach you a thing or two.”

“ I’ll pretend to believe that.”

He glided past his dancing partner and started walking down the street. His ears were indicating him that Akira was still standing at the door.

“See you tomorrow then?!”

He ceased to walk for while his mind suddenly went blank. He just shrugged.

“Not even a maybe, uh?”

 

 


End file.
